Black Roses
by voldemortsgirl
Summary: Chapter one is now up... from chapter one on, the story takes place during or after HBP.
1. Prologue

The streets of London were empty and quiet. An eerie, haunting silence hung in the air. She could feel the presence of death, and she knew they were not far behind. She clutched the child to her and silently prayed. She prayed for some delay, some small delay of time that would allow her to escape. She turned down an alley and stopped. The air had grown cold, and a bitter wind bit through her skin. She looked at the child in her arms. The little girl was asleep. She slept so peacefully, so free and pure of the knowledge of evil in her life. So unaware of whom she was, of what she was. She heard the crack behind her, and as if by some borne impulse, she fled. The cracks were getting closer together. They were right behind her. She hugged the little girl and dropped to her knees. She crouched behind a garbage bin as they ran by. Death Eaters. She cowered behind the bin and watched them go by. The little girl woke up and squirmed in her mother's arms. One of the Death Eaters stopped. As he turned, her heart froze. It wasn't a Death Eater. It was him. Voldemort approached the bin, but stopped a few yards away. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the bin.  
  
"Are you going to come out, my dear, or must I fetch you myself." The cold voice hissed from behind the dark hood.  
  
She didn't answer.  
  
"Don't test my patience." He hissed again.  
  
She fought back tears. "Go away!" She cried "Just go away and leave us alone. You can't have her!"  
  
"Oh, can I not?"  
  
He raised the wand. "Reductor!" he whispered harshly. A jet of purple light slammed into the bin and shattered it, revealing the woman crouched on the ground holding the little girl. Smoke settled around them as Voldemort approached them.  
  
"Give her to me, and I shall spare your life."  
  
She spat in his face. "No. I won't let you use her the way you used me."  
  
"Give her to me, and I will spare your life." He snarled.  
  
"Never."  
  
"Then you leave me no choice." He said, as he reached out and pulled the little girl away. He set her on the ground beside him and aimed his wand at the woman.  
  
"I gave you a chance." He said. "Avada kedavra"  
  
A great flash of green light filled the alley. When it was gone, the woman lay dead on the ground. Her lifeless eyes stared upwards, towards the heavens, and her face was frozen in surprise and horror. The little girl cried at Voldemort's side. He touched her lips and she fell silent. Her gray-blue eyes stared up at him, wide and pleading. Voldemort turned.  
  
"Bella!" he yelled. A tall hooded figure appeared at his side.  
  
"Yes, my lord?"  
  
"Take her."  
  
He turned and walked down the aisle. The woman named Bella walked over to the little girl.  
  
"What's so important about you?" she sneered at the two year old. "You can't even hold a wand."  
  
She picked up the little girl and followed Voldemort down the alley. 


	2. Magic Lessons

Narcissa Malfoy swore in frustration at the seventeen-year-old girl who stood in front of her.

"I can't do it!" she cried.

"You're not trying!" Malfoy snarled.

"Why don't you just let me go to school?"

"Well, my dear Emelia, for one thing, your magical skills surpass those of anyone at your age. And two, the Ministry doesn't know you exist. What a pretty time it would be if they found out who you are, what you are. You are better off with Bellatrix and I, teaching you your lessons outside of those school walls. And besides all that, Hogwarts will never teach you what _you_ need to know."

"But…"

"Do it," Malfoy said.

Emelia raised her wand.

"Concentrate." Malfoy said.

"Crucio!" she cried.

The cat her wand had been pointed at gave a piercing wail and fell to the ground. It jerked and writhed in painful convulsions, an awful shriek coming from its mouth.

She lowered her wand, and the cat stopped jerking and screaming.

"Very good," Malfoy said.

"Now the Imperious Curse." Malfoy ordered

Emelia pointed her wand at the cat.

"Imperio!"

The cat snapped to its feet, its eyes wide and blank. It began to march backward and forward across the room. At one point, it stopped, and did an impressive back handspring.

"Very good," Malfoy commented. "Now the last."

The cat stood still in the middle of the room. Emelia pointed her wand at the cat. She glanced quickly at Malfoy.

"Go on," she said.

"Avada kedavra!" Emelia hissed. A jet of green light struck the cat, and it fell to the floor, dead.

"Very good." Malfoy said. "I see a great deal of improvement. He will be pleased. But I think that is enough for today. You may go."

Emelia cheered and stuck her wand in her pocket as she dashed out of the room.

Narcissa Malfoy looked at the dead cat and smiled maliciously.

"Soon, Potter." She growled.

She waved her wand at the cat, and it vanished.


End file.
